Rein-holder



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. l

LEEEEUsl A. KOILIN, OE AKRON, OHIO.

REIN-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 293,476, datedFebruary 12, 1881.V

' Appncanim mea August 9,1883. (No man.)

-To all whom it may concer/1,:

Be it known that I, LEBBEUs A. KorLIN, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rein-Holders, of which the following is a specification.

The object `of my invention is to provide a,

simple and effective device for holding the reins of a harness when the driver alights, which may be easily and quickly operated and automatically locked to prevent the escape of the reins.

To this end my invention consists in` a pair of holding-jaws clamped to the splash-boardV and easily operated.

Referring to the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure l is a side elevation.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, with the parts below the pivotedjaw in section. Fig. 3 is an.

end elevation.

A A in said drawings represent clamps, which are secured to lugs a upon the under side of a plate or jaw, B, by means of bolts b, passing through said lugs and having nuts b upon one end. These clamps are for the purpose of securing the rein-holder to the splashboard, the latter being introduced between n them, and the nuts b turned up until the edge of the dash is firmly grasped between them, as shown in Fig. 1. Near one end of the plate B, and upon each side thereof, are formed rearwardly-projecting lugs C, between which the upper jaw, D, ofthe holder is pivoted. In front ofthe lugs C, and forming part of the said plate, rise arms E, their ends projecting above the upper surface of the jaw D, and between the extremities of said arms is pivoted a lever, F, having a cam, f, which rests upon the jaw D. This cam is so formed that' when the lever is thrown up into the position shown in Fig. l the jaw D is allowed to rise, and when thrown down, as in Fig. 2, it forces the jaw down until the camlies in the vertical plane of its pivotal point, or so nearly that the upward pressure upon the jaw will not retract the lever. A spring, G, is set between the plate B and the pivoted jaw D, by which the latter is normally raised to the position shown in Fig. l. i

H represents an elastic plate, which overtension somewhat above the lower plate. The leaf H is set in notches in the arms E, and may be held in place by any suitable means-as for example, by a pin, e.

The operation of this device is as follows: Being attached to the splash-board in the manner described, with the opening Of the jaws toward the rein-hand, the reins are laid upon the spring-plate H, and the lever F is thrownl down, depressing the pivoted jaw andclamping the reins tightly between it and the springplate, the yield of the latter compensating for the varying thickness of different reins. The cam f, when the lever is thrown down, lies so nearly in the line of the pivotal point of the lever F that the pressure between the jaws cannot unlock the cam and throw up the lever, releasing the reins.

Instead of using two pairs of clamps A, a single pair only may be used, having suitable width.

What I claim is- I; A rein-holder consisting of a pair of clamping-jaws, whereof one is movable and lies the plate B, and which is held. by its own actuated by a cam-lever which locks said jaw down, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the lower jaw of a rein-holder, of a spring-plate overlying the same, whereby reins of varyingthickness may be clamped between the jaws, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the lower jaw, B, having the spring-plate II, of the pivotcd jaw D and'the cam-lever F, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with thejawB and pivoted jaw D, of the spring G and cam-lever F, substantially as described.

5. The rein-holder described, consisting of the clamps A A, the jaw B, having springplate H, the pivoted jaw D, spring G, and cam-lever F, pivoted'to arms E, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

LEBBEUS A. KOPLIN.

Y W'itnesses:

GEO. BILLow, W. J. QNEIL. 

